ll, Mr. Tipene," I said shortly. "We'll start at once.
Gentlemen, will you join me in the navigating room?"

* * * * *

Correy was the last to arrive in the navigating room, and when he came
in his eyes were dancing.

"I've just transferred Tipene to another stateroom, sir," he said. "A
specially equipped stateroom."

"You what?"

"If you'll give orders, sir, for an immediate start, I'll tell you all
about it," chuckled Correy. "Tipene says he's worn out, and is going
to retire as soon as we start. And when he does--we'll learn
something."

I nodded to Kincaide, and he gave the general attention signal. In a
few seconds the outer sentry was recalled, and the exit port had been
sealed. Slowly, the _Ertak_ lifted.

"Maybe I'm wrong, sir," said Correy then, "but I'm convinced that
Tipene is lying. Something's wrong; he was in altogether too much of a
hurry to get away.

"So, before I transferred him to the other stateroom, I concealed a
menore under the mattress of his bunk, immediately under where his
head will lie. It's adjusted to full strength, and I believe it will
pick up enough energy to emanate what he's thinking about. We'll be in
the next stateroom and see what we can pick up. How does that sound,
sir?"

"Like something you'd cook up, Mr. Correy!" I said promptly. "And I
believe, as you do, that if it works at all, we'll find out something
interesting."

We equipped ourselves with menores, adjusted to maximum power, and
silently filed into the stateroom adjacent to Tipene's.

He was moving about slowly, apparently undressing, for we heard first
one boot and then another drop to the floor. And we could sense vague
emanations, too faint to be intelligible, and unmistakably coming from
him.

"Probably sitting on the edge of his bunk," whispered Correy. "When he
lies down, it'll work like a charm!"

It did--almost too well. Suddenly we caught a strong emanation, in the
Universal language.

* * * * *

"Surly individual, that Hanson--didn't like my giving orders--hurt his
dignity. But I had my own way, and that's all that's important. Seemed
to be suspicious--they all were. Maybe I was a bit urgent--but I was
afraid--those damned Aranians might have changed their spidery minds.

"They can't be very intelligent--to think I'd come back with tribute
to pay for the spiders that fool Hanson and his men killed. Why, the
ship's rays could wip